How to Calculate Percentage

Introduction

Percentage is one of the most common concepts in everyday math — whether you’re figuring out exam scores, discounts while shopping, profit margins, or portions of a whole. But if you’re not sure how percentages work, they can seem confusing at first.

In this guide, we’ll break down what percentage means, show step-by-step examples, and give you simple formulas to calculate it on your own plus a quick link to an easy online tool you can use.

Try our online percentage calculator here: Online Percentage Calculator

What Is a Percentage?

A percentage is a way of expressing a number as a fraction of 100. The symbol for percentage is %.

• 50% means 50 out of 100
• 20% means 20 out of 100
• 100% means 100 out of 100 (the whole thing)

Percentages are useful because they let us compare numbers easily — no matter the total.

Percentage Formula (Easy!)

To calculate a percentage, you use one simple formula: Percentage = (Part ÷ Whole) × 100

Where:

• Part = the portion of the total you’re interested in
• Whole = the total or maximum possible amount

1: Percentage of a Number

• Question: You scored 45 marks out of a total of 60. What percentage did you get?
• Solution: Part = 45, Whole = 60
  • Percentage = (45 ÷ 60) × 100
  • Percentage = 0.75 × 100
  • Percentage = 75%
• So you scored 75% in the test!

2: Finding the Part from a Percentage

• Question: What is 30% of 200?
• Solution:
  • Part = (Percentage ÷ 100) × Whole
  • Part = (30 ÷ 100) × 200
  • Part = 0.3 × 200
  • Part = 60
• So 30% of 200 is 60.

3: Increase or Decrease by a Percentage

Percentages are often used for things like discounts or price increases.

Percentage Increase

• Question: A shirt costs ₹800. The price increases by 15%. What’s the new price?
• Solution:
  • Increase = (15 ÷ 100) × 800
  • Increase = 0.15 × 800
  • Increase = ₹120
  • New Price = 800 + 120 = ₹920
• So the shirt now costs ₹920.

Percentage Decrease

• Question: A phone is ₹15,000 but has a 10% discount. What price do you pay?
• Solution:
  • Discount = (10 ÷ 100) × 15000
  • Discount = 0.1 × 15000
  • Discount = ₹1500
  • Final Price = 15000 − 1500 = ₹13,500
• You save ₹1500 and pay ₹13,500.

Why Percentages Matter

Percentages are everywhere:

• Exam scores (you often see marks expressed in %)
• Shopping discounts
• Bank interest rates
• Profit and loss
• Data comparisons

Understanding percentages makes everyday decisions easier and more precise.

Practice with Tools

Calculating percentages by hand is useful — but sometimes you want a quick result. Use our handy calculator to avoid mistakes and save time: Online Percentage Calculator

If you want more calculators for school, work, or everyday life, check out our full collection:

• Maths and Science Calculators
• Education & Academic Calculators

Tips for Students

• Practice using both manual formulas and online tools
• Start with simple examples before moving to word problems
• Use percentage calculators when accuracy matters (like exam grading)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Forgetting to convert percentages into decimals
• Mixing up the “part” and “whole” values
• Using the wrong formula for increase vs decrease

Remember:

Always convert the percentage to decimal form (divide by 100) if you’re working step by step.

Summary

Calculating percentages becomes second nature once you understand the formula and practice a few examples!

FAQ’S

Conclusion

Now that you understand how to calculate percentage, you can confidently apply it to exams, shopping, finance, and daily tasks. Practice a few examples and use online calculators whenever needed.

Bookmark this page and try our other academic tools to make learning easier.

Search on Google For how to calculate percentage and Free Online Quiz and Tools